The Mowgli's @ Beachland Ballroom 9/30

They cold open, shouting, “We’re The Mowgli’s!”
Wow! Originality at it’s finest.
I’ve been telling people the whole evening that I’m here to experiment with my show review. Never ever have I ever:

Listened to The Mowgli’s, listened to any of their opening acts, looked at a photo of what any member of the Mowgli’s looks like...been as drunk as I am now at a live music event.

Who: The Mowgli's
Where: Beachland Ballroom
When: Sept. 30, 2016
What: concert to promote new album release
Why: because music
How: my friend Ben gave me a ride here (stay sober or get pulled over!). I finagled his way onto the list as my +1

They’re singing some song with lyrics that go ‘forever / forever.’ The crowd is quite lively; groups of young folk. Think: very young, like, “14 years old and their parents are here to chaperone,” young.

Ben leans over towards me and shouts, “I shit my pants,” followed by, “they’re a modern day Blink 182 but not as cool. They don’t talk about suicide and drugs and stuff like that.”

Wait, ew, what was that part about you shitting your pants?

I am sort of enjoying myself, despite my own reluctance. Then again, all music sounds good when you’re so drunk you can’t stand straight. Ben leans over again, “... [they are] more like Good Charlotte.”

HA! Wishful thinking, Nick. However, reluctant as I am to give a bad review, I’m prone to agree. I haven’t seen a single non-Caucasian in the crowd. Regardless, despite grumpy ole’ sober Ben; I kind of enjoy the show. The sound is clean and tight.

Dude, I kind of really like them. Am I afraid to say that? I absolutely loathed their studio music, but live, man, they're like a pop punk anthem from the early 2000s that just tugs at my inner college freshman in a way few can.

The crowd sings some lyrics along with them. Indecipherable. They drop into a transcendental guitar solo. It's aight. Getting kind of jammy. Then they break it down for some unnamed song with smooth R&B type vibes. I hate to admit it, but I fucking enjoy it. It's got those triply guitar riffs that we all know and love and then drops into some old fashioned chorusin’----

Ben interrupts me, “Are they lip syncing?”

Holy shit! They might be. The vocals are just too tight. Then again, there is also a fair amount of reverb.

The Mowgli’s shout out, ‘This ain't no bad thing.’

I mean, you're correct. It's not a bad thing. I'm happy to be alive and breathing and at a concert. Ben interrupts me, “I don’t think the lead singer is, but the chorus could very well be lip syncing”

I mean, I don't really want to say anything bad about them--- Ben screams at me, “THEY ARE LIP SYNCING!”
Do I stay or do I go? I kind of want to leave now.

'Are you still awake/ hey / are you okay / '
I kind of know this song. Is it enough to keep me here?
Nope. I’m out the door.

This band would really appeal to me...if I were a fourteen-year old girl. However, if there are any fourteen-year old girls reading this, or if the reader knows any, then please, direct them towards The Mowgli’s. I would describe them as a Jonas Brothers/Arcade Fire hybrid, except with a lot more pixie stick intake.